Improvement in quaetz-mills



offrconstr'uction and combining the grinding and reducing vtion and application of the vertical shaft-shoes of steel or metal.

@eine gieten atl @Hilf WILLIAM WHEELER HUBBELL AND JAMES M. PA'ITON, OF PHILADELPHIA,

' PENNSYLVANIA.

Letters Patent 1Y0. 65,675, dated 'Time 11, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN QUARTZ-MILLS.

Be it known that we, WILLIAM Win-:unna HUBBELL andJAui-ES M. IATTON, of the city of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and us'eful Improvement in Machines to Pulverize Gold and Silver Orcs and Minerals and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference heilig had to the annexed drawings, making part hereof, in which like letters of' reference throughout `indicate similar parts, and- Figure 1 is a .side perspective view of the machine. Figure 2 is a ground view of the same. I Figure 3 is a'vertical section through the centre of the shafting and all other parts in the same plane of iig. 1. Figure 4 is ar. inside view of one of the toothed cast-iron segments of the hopper or pot. Figure 5 is a ground view of the upper section of the toothed central revolving-wheel or grinding-nut. .Figure 6 is a side view of the entire series of revolving sections forming the toothed revolving-wheel or whole grinding-nut.

Figure 7 is a ground view of the second segment of the revolving-wheel or grinding-nut. Figure 8 is a ground view of the third segment of the saine. Figure 9 is a like view-of the lower segment of the same. Figure 10 is a view of the lower side of the bottom` of the nut with its clearing wings.

Figure 11 is a top view of the upper or stationary reducing-stone. Figure 12 is a bottom view,`showing the cutting face of the same stone. Figure 13 is a bottom view of the lower revolving reducing-stone with its clearing wings. Figure 14 is a viewof the upper or cutting face of the saine revolving reducing-stone. Figure 15 is a view of the interior structure oi' the conduicfeeder from the grinding to the reducingapparatns.

Figure 16 is a view of the changeable steel shoe of the vertical shafts with steel step. i The naturepf our-invention consists in the manner of construction of the hopper or grinding-pot and its revolving toothed wheel or nut; of the constructionof, the revolving and reducing-stones; and of the manper process to operate continuously; also, the construc- The frame a of the machine is wood, with b a platform for the reducing-stones, and c an elevated platform for the hopper, and c an auxiliary platform, having sides d on which the mineral is irst laid and cracked with a hammer to about the size of egg or broken coa-l. l

The hopper e is made of cast iron, stands vertical, has rectangular' sides, lleted inside 'at the corners, and` tapering smaller towards the bottom, as shown in figs. 14%. The sides and bottom are all cast solid in one piece. It has lugs, and is bolted to the bed-plate or platform e in theV usual manner, and is snrrnouhted by a cross-beam, f, for an upper shaft-bearing. In each corner of the hopper or pot, inside, is secured a cast-iron segment, armed on its inner facevwith edged teeth 2J, rigs-241, which have a drift diagonally from the'top to the bottom of the segment in the direction of the rotation of the central wheel or nut. This segment is one of four alike, with backs adapted to fit close into the corners of the pot e, one or each being drawn up and secured tightly in each corner of the pot bythe bolt g. Each of these segmentsp is capable of insertion and removal'and renewal, whenever worn out. The whole of them, when in place, form a series of edged teeth around the inside of the pot-,having the same diagonal drift asindicat'cd in the tige. 2, 8, 4.

The revolving nut-shaft q is vertical inside of this hopper or pot, edged-toothed castiron wlieelsli j In Z, having different sizes of teeth, being largestat thetop, z' representing the upper set- Vof teeth. The teeth of the diiferen't wheels diminish in size, and increase or double `n numbers towards the bottom. Each wheel having a square shafthole, q', is set on the shaft independent of the other, and

is square, and armed with a series of each can be removed and another substituted when worn or broken. The wheel h has four edged teethz'projecting from rectangular faces or body cast therewith in one piece. The nextwheel, j, has eight teeth; the next wheel,- c, has sixteen *edged teeth; the lower wheel, Z, has thirty-two Vedged teeth; and the lower part of the lowest wheel,

Z, is provided with a vertical collar, m, hollow inside at o, fig. 10, in which an annular projection, 9, tits, it being part of the bottom of the hopper or pot extending around the shaft to exclude the mineral dust, fig. 3.

On the periphery of the collar m, Apart thereof in one vpiece with the wheel l, are two projecting arms n n, which revolve under the lower ends of the segments of the hopper, and clear out and force the ground particles of the minerals through an aperture, 22, into the inclined conduit or receiver 1` in which they are4 held or accumulate, and down which they slide by gravitation, and are fed or admitted'uniformly into the central portion of the pulverizing or final reducing-stones y c, through the orifice 12, by a slide, 10, actuated laterally by the revolving-stone s and its vertical spindle 11, with a round crank-pin, 13, working in a slot` 14. t The minerals have to be gradually reduced to attain a pulrerized condition, and the hopper or pote and its wheel or nut first crack them or grind them into particles about the size of small or pea and dust coal.

To continue the operation: Beneath the lower end of the receiver-conduit 1, on the lower platform b, are placed two stones, surrounded by a casing, 2, similar in general appearance to millstones, they being composed of very hard, solid millstone hound with iron, and the upper one provided with arms, in the usual manner. 'ihe upper stone isg/ stationary, with a central aperture snliiciently large to admit the ground mineral through a pipe, his pipe 15 is extended down from the .receiving-conduit 1 near 'to the face of thelower stone z, which revolves rapidly on or with a vert-ical shaft, w. Each stone is about three fcetin diameter. The inner edge cf the face 4 ofsthe upper stone is bevelled, and cut with radial grooves in a series or section about eight in number. and terminating about midway between the centre and the periphery of thestone, as shown in-iig. 12. Outside of this section or series is cut a series or section of about double the number of grooves A5 5, which drift in a direction opposite to that of the rotation of the lo'wer stone. In the lower stone z, tig. 14: is also cut a series or section of grooves, 6 6, extending asimilar distance, and outside of these a series, 7 7, similar t o the outer series un the upper stone, but drifting in the opposite direction; The stones are not cut between these sections, and the result is that the minerals in passing between them are reduced finally to a pulverized condition. Ou the lower side of the lower stone are let into and secured by cement or plaster two diagonal wings 8 8, the centrifugal force and drift of which drive all pulverized material away from the centre through an aperture into the discharge-conduit 3, from which the pulverized minerals nally escape, to be alnalgam'ated or` otherwise treated. Thelowcr stone s runs'with a high speed on or with the vertical shaft w, and the grinding-nut h runs with a slow speed. The stone s is made to act as a ily or momentum-wheel to the nut h, by means ofthe intermediate horizontal shaft s s, and their gearing respectively, v and u for the stone, and t andr for the nut h, the power being applied direct to the horizontal shaft s s by the belt-wheel fr, figs. 1 3, thus making the final reducingwheels or stones assistthe nut It in irst'grinding the mineral'for them still further to reduce.

1n the drawings, in order to show the working parts distinctly, the' hopper or pot and its revolving-nut are made larger in proportion tothe stones than thc working sizes. In practice, ,while the stones are about three feet in diameter the pot is about twelve inches square at the top inside, tapering smallerbelow, and the nut in proportion, as shown. The scale of the stones and their gearing and the conduit is about oneutenth of an inch to two inches anda half. The scale of the hopper or pot and its toothed wheel or nut and its gearing 'is about one-tenth of an inch to the inch. I

In prectice,-in pulverizing diiierent minerals with the sameinachine, it is 'sometimes preferable t`o change the toothed sections in the hopper and the upper section t of the nut. The stones andhopper'are shown as set for gold and silver ores, and the teeth ot' the segments and nuthhave a drift.` When the minerals are moist, or liable to drag in grinding, then the teeth should have the drift; this is the case with most metalliferous ores. But in pulverizing natural sulphate of barytes, for instance, or any such hard, dry, fragile mineral, then toothed segments, and a toothed wheel or nut, 71., having the edged teeth vertical, will grind it more eifectually, not crowding it down too fast, and such can be substituted for the other in the machine; or the segments in the pot may be changed to vertical-edged teeth, and the`diagonal-edged toothed nut retained, or the straight-edged toothed nut and diagonal-edged toothed segment, as the minerals, from moisture, metals, or other cause, may drag more or less; the diagonal being for those which drag, the vertical for those which descend freely. Y The inclined conduit 1 is provided with ahinged cover, 16, opening back from the hopper or pot, and placed at right angles to the platform c, and having an opening, 17, belowthe level of the aperture 22, so that the man on the platform can both open it and see and tend the mineral as it passes to the stones, andtherefore feed the proper quantity as needed to the pot, which lis important. This conduit or receiver 1 also fulfills the oilce ofa common hopper to the stones. It is provided'with a. slide, 10', moving horizontally crosswise under a plate, 18, by means of a slot, 14, having a round crank-pin,13, on the centre spindle 11 playing in it, which revolves with and is secured to the centre of the lower stone. The slide moves through plates 23 on the outsides of the conduit 1, which are set backward or forward to increase or diminish the feed or'size of the orifice 12.

The process of mechanically running the mineral first through the Vertical castiron grinding-pot, and then, by means of the conduit, or its equivalent, through horizontal stones, all having a continuous rotary motion, expending the power in these directions on the minerals, is a very important order or succession of action in this pulveriz'ing system, and to be observed in the vdescent of the heavy ores.

In this machine it is important to prevent the destructive wear or vcuttingof the lower or journal ends of the vertical shafts of the stone and nut by the mineral dust. To do this, steel shoes, 19, 20, in the form of a journal, and with solid base, and cupped inside, and horizontal tiange at the top, are made and fitted one on to the lower end of each shaft, and secured with a vertical pin, so as to compel the shoe to revolve with the shaft. This steel journahshoe sets in a hardened steel box, 21, in which it runs, the Harige excluding the dust. When the shoe is worn out another is put on the shaft in its pla-ce, and thus the injurious destruction of the shaft and serious derangcmcnt of the proper elevation of the stone and nut are prevented.

In compliance with the provisions of the law, we further specify that we have contemplated that th pot may be made triangular, hexagonal, or octagonal, and the segments bolted inside and renewable. Also, it may be concd, round, and a single segment, or two, be turned and'tted or drawn in with bolts, and Ihovable or renewable; or the pot may be cast with its'edged teeth contracting smaller towards the bottom of the coned form shown, in one piece, and bolted down to a bottom piece; and the nut may be in one, or more or less than four pieces; andthe teeth of the pot and of the nut, or either of them, may be chilled in casting, all on the same general principle. Also, that the slope of theconduit may be continued by makingthe bottom of the phot similarly inclined to discharge the mineral into it. But we have determined in practice that the construction of hopper or pot square, and the teeth infour sections bearing against these rectangular sides, and the nuts cast in sections, one section for each size of teeth, is the cheapest structure, the easiest worked or renewed when cut or worn, and most effective in reducing hard and heavy quartz.

The number of cutsin the stones will depend in some degree upon the hardness of the minerals; therdrit't of the outer series will also bc governed thereby. The cuts shown in the drawings are well suited for gold and silverores. The drift of' the outer series should bc within four `inches for a three-foot stonekand within five inches for a four-foot stone. Also, for very hard minerals or ores the number of the outer series and ot' the inner series may bediminished to reduce ner andA slower, and the drift also may bc diminished for very hard quartz or mineral, but they should always be within live inches drift, and should not exceed the number of cuts shown in the drawings, being eight cuts on the inner seriesiand sixteen on the outer. And for reducing the hardest mineral or lquartz the number of the cuts in the outer series and in the inner series should be the same. Each series of cuts extends to the middle, or near the middle of the attrition face ofthe stone, as shown in the drawings, the inner series of cuts opening to the centre cavity or eye ofthe upper stone to receive themineral, and the outer series opening to the outer edge or periphery of the stone to discharge it, but havin'gno cut between them. There is between the two series of cuts the plain attrition face of the stone. Each cut must be threefourths of an inch deep at the base, and taper up to the face of the stone in a width of t'wo inches, in order to `let the quartz distribute itself' as it comes to the attrition surfaces of the stones, in which respects these stones di'er from the cuts used to reduce other materials.`

It may be well'to state here that in reducing minerals a machine that is etiicient, light, and easy of transportation to the mines, with parts or structure capable of speedy renewal when worn, with slight expense, is allimportant for success, as economy in weight and cest, wear and renewal, is an inseparable condition te mine successfully for gold and silver. This machine is so organized that itin a high degree attains these necessary results.

Having described our improvement, and the modes of using the same, we are aware that grinding-millswithshells and nuts conical in form in one piece and in sections, adapted to `feed in at the small end, and for vari-ous purposes, not such as ours and not constructed as ours, have been used.- They are not constructed nor adapted to perform the work of our mill on quartz, and we do not mean to claim them. Neither do we claim the method of cutting stones used to reduce grain, plaster, and soft earths. They will not do the work of our mill, and we Incanto be understood as confining our claims to the peculiar construction and adaptation of our mill to the rapid reduction of'quart-z. A

We claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The edged toothed sections o r platesp firmly bolted and fitted to the rectangular surfaces or corners of the pot, and used iu combination with the central revolving nuts, diminishing in their size and increasing in their number of teeth downward towards the bottom of the pot, substantially as described.

42. Discbarging the ground quartz from the bottom of the pot e into the inclined conduit by means of the arm n attached to the rim er collar m and below the teeth Z and plates p, substantially as described.

v 3. The'seris of circular removable toothedsections or nuts above each other vertically,the teeth of the separate nuts diminishing in size-but increasing in numberas they are placed one below the other, when used in combination with the interior vertical toothed plates p within the pot, constructed and operating substantially as described. I

4. The furrows in the stones cut in two distinct series, the inner series upon radial lines extending outward to or near the half diameter of the stone, the outer series in toward the centre on lines tangential to the inner furrows, and entirely separate and distinct from each other, with a plain attrition or uncut face between them, substantially as described.

6. In a mill for grinding quartz, we claim the combination of the elevated pot e with its plates and nuts, arms n, aperture 22, inclined conduit 1, and the lower stones y z, constructed, proportioned, and operating substantially as described.

6. The-removable steel cup or shoe 19, constructed, applied, and used between the vertical shaft and removable step 21, in the manner and for this purpose as described.

WM. WHEELER HUBBELL, JAS. M. PATTON.

Witnesses:

JOHN M. RAE, WILLIAM P. BECKER. 

